Kiev, Feb 3: Emergency power outages struck several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv, as well as Moldova’s capital Chisinau, due to a technical malfunction affecting cross-border power lines, officials said. The failure triggered cascading blackouts that disrupted water supplies and Kyiv’s subway system. The outages follow weeks of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, part of what Kyiv calls Moscow’s strategy of “weaponizing winter” amid temperatures dropping to minus 30°C. US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a temporary pause in strikes on Kyiv to allow humanitarian relief and facilitate talks, scheduled for February 1 in Abu Dhabi. Despite the pause, Ukraine continues to face Russian attacks on logistics networks and residential areas. President Zelenskyy remains skeptical of Russia’s willingness to end the nearly four-year war, noting ongoing territorial disputes and Moscow’s lack of commitment to peace.Kiev, Feb 3: Emergency power outages struck several Ukrainian cities, including Kyiv, Zhytomyr, and Kharkiv, as well as Moldova’s capital Chisinau, due to a technical malfunction affecting cross-border power lines, officials said. The failure triggered cascading blackouts that disrupted water supplies and Kyiv’s subway system. The outages follow weeks of Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, part of what Kyiv calls Moscow’s strategy of “weaponizing winter” amid temperatures dropping to minus 30°C. US President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a temporary pause in strikes on Kyiv to allow humanitarian relief and facilitate talks, scheduled for February 1 in Abu Dhabi. Despite the pause, Ukraine continues to face Russian attacks on logistics networks and residential areas. President Zelenskyy remains skeptical of Russia’s willingness to end the nearly four-year war, noting ongoing territorial disputes and Moscow’s lack of commitment to peace.